Ottavio Castellini
Spotted recently on the Romanian track circuit, subtly and silently, Paula Ivan has returned to competition. An athlete who dominated the 1500m and mile, with several forays into 3000m, for several seasons during the latter half of the 1980’s.
Paula has raced over 1500m at several indoor meetings, and has managed to achieve a time (4:19.30) that places her in this year’s IAAF indoor top 50 ranking lists. These are her results that have been made available to the IAAF:
4:22.38 (1) Bucuresti, Jan 22
4:45.23 (2) Bucuresti, Jan 29
4:21.65 (5) Bucuresti, Feb 5
4:19.30 (1) Bucuresti, Feb 19
The highlight of Ivan's lengthy career is best summarised at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. In that famous Stadium, which sits on the banks of the great River Han, the Romanian middle-distance runner provided a performance which has not since been equalled. Indeed she won the 1500m (which took place Saturday 1 October) with a margin of 6.28 seconds ahead of the silver medallist, a Soviet (of Lithuanian origins) Laimute Baikauskaite. Paula won the race with 3:53.96 (a personal best) compared to the 4:00.24 of her closest opponent, who also achieved a personal best.
In the history of middle distance races at Olympic Games, this interval (6.28) represents, in its own way, a record. The second most considerable interval between a first and second place finisher is the 5.73 seconds that separated Derartu Tulu from Elana Meyer in the 10,000m final at Barcelona ’92.
Paula Ivan had already received an Olympic medal prior to the 1500m final. A few days before (the 25 September) she came second in the 3000m in a thrilling fight for the finish with another Soviet (of Ukrainian origins). Tatyana Samolenko timed 8:26.53 for a personal best and Olympic record, against the 8:27.15, also a personal best, for the Romanian.
The year before Seoul, at the World Championships in Rome, she was not quite so lucky.
She did not reach the final of the 1500m. Running in the third and slowest heat, she was overtaken in the final dash for the finish by Great Britain’s Kirsty Wade who snapped up the last of the four qualifying places for the final. Over 3000m, it was even worse as she was eliminated finishing tenth in her heat.
Her best seasons were in 1988 and in 1989 where she dominated the IAAF Grand Prix winning the Women Overall title both years. In 1988 she was leader of the 1500m individual standings, and in 1989 leader of the mile.
Here are her best performances:
800m: 1:56.42 1988
1000m: 2:34.73 1989
1500m: 3:53.96 1988
Mile: 4:15.61 1989
3000m: 8:27.15 1988
5000m: 15:31.22 1989